Here is an article that presents a more hopeful side of the recent boom in global urbanization. Recently, a group of Danish and Chinese architects and experts on urban planning worked together to start devising a plan for a better, more sustainable city. Their work will be exhibited at the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center through October 12. The group has been working to come up with ideas related to housing, traffic, and even address the problem of nature in cities. Shanghai is different than most urban cities because it lacks nature. The group hopes to develop a city layout that will promote more urban parks. A great example of the future plans come directly from Copenhagen, Denmark. The city is starting a program called “City Bikes”. City Bikes will provide 2,000 free, public bikes for anyone to use in the city. They are housed in 110 sheds spread across Copenhagen. The only catch is you must insert a coin in the bike to unlock, equivalent to about $3.20, but you get the money back when you return the bike. This program is something that I think will work out quiet well. It will reduce the amount of traffic, there will be less of a need for major roads, and the pollution levels will also drop.
This article does not go into much detail about the Shanghai Expo, or even the developments of the Chinese and Danish architects. It is however, a ray of sunshine in the mess of urbanization, providing a few hopeful examples that eventually all cities will keep in mind when developing. I was attracted to this article because it involved Denmark, a Nordic country, and one year ago I studied abroad in another Nordic country, Finland. So this region of the world is very close my heart. I believe that the world could benefit from the Nordic model of living in general. They seem to have it together when it comes to creating the greatest good for the greatest amount.
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2007/200709/20070927/article_332629.htm
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